Kazakhstan Ratifies Budapest Convention as Octopus Conference Marks 25 Years
Kazakhstan ratified the Budapest Convention at the Council of Europe's 2026 Octopus conference, raising parties to 84 as experts examined AI and cybercrime.
The story in focus
Around 500 cybercrime experts from more than 100 countries gathered in Strasbourg for the Council of Europe's 2026 Octopus conference, marking 25 years of the Budapest Convention. Kazakhstan ratified the convention during the event, bringing the total number of parties to 84.
- The Octopus conference ran from 14 to 16 October 2026 in Strasbourg, marking the convention's 25th anniversary.
- Kazakhstan's ratification raised the number of parties to the Budapest Convention to 84.
- The convention committee approved a mapping study on artificial intelligence and cybercrime drawn from prosecutors and experts in over 25 countries.
Conference Scope and Anniversary
The Council of Europe's 2026 Octopus conference convened roughly 500 cybercrime experts from more than 100 countries, including international organisations, the private sector, academia and civil society. The Strasbourg event ran from 14 to 16 October and marked 25 years of the Convention on cybercrime, known as the Budapest Convention.
Sessions were set to address the impact of artificial intelligence on cybercrime, trafficking and scam compounds, and cooperation with online service providers under the convention's second additional protocol and the European Union e-evidence framework. Workshops covered disinformation and foreign manipulation, transnational repression, AI-generated child sexual abuse material and illegal use of virtual assets, with regional workshops for Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean.
AI Study and New Treaty
Ahead of the conference, the convention committee, composed of state parties, approved a mapping study on artificial intelligence and cybercrime drawing on prosecutors and experts from more than 25 countries. The study confirms AI systems fall within the convention's definition of a computer system and recommends cooperation with the AI industry and civil society, practical resources on AI and electronic evidence, and collaboration across related Council of Europe treaties.
On the sidelines, an Additional Protocol to the Warsaw Convention was opened for signature. The Council of Europe says the treaty modernises asset recovery frameworks and strengthens authorities' ability to confiscate criminal assets, including crypto-assets.
What changed in the number of parties to the Budapest Convention during the conference?
Kazakhstan ratified the Convention on cybercrime on the occasion of the conference, bringing the total number of parties to 84, according to the Council of Europe.
Sources & further reading
Help keep the record accurate. Send a correction.
